Help! I need to buy a computer and I'm an analog person in this digital age

[cali]

OK, I want a desktop- I think, but beyond that? Yikes? I'm clueless. Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1? Or should I go with a Mac?


All I know is that I want to buy it used on ebay which is where I got my last computer (I've had it 5 years).

thanks so much for any help anyone of you can give me.

[CatholicEdHead]

1. Can you describe your needs more?

What will you use it for? What was your last computer? What did you like and hate about it?

[cali]

4. my current computer is a Gateway series E. It's a mess

I use my computer for writing- a lot. I use it for email a lot, browsing the internet, doing research on various subjects for writing projects. Burning CDs. I want to use it for downloading photos. Pretty basic stuff.

[TexasTowelie]

2. I'm on a desktop and since I've been using my brothers laptop I've noticed that there isn't that

much difference and I'd probably prefer a laptop instead.

I've noticed that I type quicker on a desktop keyboard compared to a laptop since it has more of the feel of a typewriter.

Second, are you getting to point where you need a larger video monitor or screen? If so, then the desktop may serve your needs better.

Third, nearly all laptops are coming installed with Windows 8 at this point--it is getting rare to find computers still installed with Windows 7 and somewhere down the line Microsoft may decide to not offer support for Windows 7 just like they cut the support for Windows XP. In that case, it probably makes sense to get Windows 8.1.

Next, if you are going to get either a laptop or desktop, then you will want to get a computer that has touch-screen controls so that you can maneuver with your fingers instead of having to use a mouse. Windows 8 and 8.1 are designed to use touch-screen controls so it is almost foolish to buy a computer without that additional feature (of course, my brother bought a laptop that doesn't have touchscreen controls to try and save money).

Finally, if you decide to buy a laptop, then you might want to purchase a machine with the numeric keypad next to the qwerty keypad. Trying to type a large amount of data using the digit keys on a standard alpha keyboard is somewhat annoying if you are relatively fast using a ten-key calculator or keypad.

FWIW, for the minor quirks that Windows 8 has versus Windows 7, I have been able to find most of the answers searching on Google. The most annoying issues for novices are trying to find the start menu (it's hidden in the lower left corner so place the cursor there for it to pop up) and turning on the laptop in Safe Mode (Windows 8 doesn't have safe mode). No matter what, make certain that you get the installation disks when you buy your machine in case you have to remove any viruses. I've run into some issues recently trying to remove the Interpol virus from by brother's laptop (Windows 8) because I didn't have the installation disks.

[cali]

6. boy, am I behind the times. touch screen controls?

thanks for the advice. it is much appreciated

[TexasTowelie]

7. Yes, just like you see people swiping their fingers on smartphones.

My Windows 7 desktop actually has touch screen controls. You should be able to take care of your current uses no matter which decision you prefer. The laptop will be easier to carry around and you will be able to use wireless routers at coffee bars and restaurants so unless you are looking at photos and using Photoshop, then I would advise going for mobility. I know that it would have been nice to have a laptop when I was in the hospital recently.

[cali]

15. I live in the sticks. and I have mobility issues- walk with a cane

so I can't carry one around. don't go to bars much anyway. thanks for the explanation.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I've never met anyone who regretted changing to using a Mac.

None of that virus stuff to worry about and really more solid and stable, also likely to last longer.

But, depending on your needs, a Windows machine might be better (if you're a gamer, or have applications that prefer Windows).

Desktops are a better value, I like having a large screen.

[cali]

5. thanks skip. I'm not a gamer at all. why don't macs catch viruses?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Macs are a tiny part of the market, so it isn't worth it to the hackers to make viruses for them.

That's basically it.

[intaglio]

26. Ummm - You might want to check that

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9355995/Apple-drops-virus-immunity-claim-for-Macs.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/06/26/yes-apples-machines-really-can-get-viruses/

Problem Apple users think they are safe from viruses and hence are more likely to ignore signs of infection

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Do you have a desired price range?

You can get nice Windows laptops new for $250-$300, usually with Win 8, and they have ports so you can also use them as a desktop with external monitor, keyboard and mouse. I use my laptop every day as both a laptop and desktop. A big monitor runs $150 or so, keyboard and mouse $25 or so.

Microcenter in Cambridge has good deals, they're part of a chain that also does mail order. They seem to buy close-out lots of good stuff.

[cali]

14. yes. I can't spend more than $350. And I do prefer a desktop.

I'll check out microcenter.

[jtuck004]

10. I bought my last 3 from ebay, 2 kind of like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-LENOVO-THINKPAD-T400-LAPTOP-WIN-7-64bit-CDRW-DVD-2-40ghz-160gb-WiFi-NOTEBOOK-/151293929878

They are cheap because they are old. Around a couple hundred bucks, though I usually add in a faster drive and bring the ram up to 8GB. But then I hook a 21" monitor, keyboard, and mouse up and stack it with the others. (Just fyi - you do not have to have one, but they make "docking stations" that the laptop will plug into. Your monitor, mouse, and keyboard stay hooked up, so you don't have to take all that stuff loose if you want to go read in another room with just the laptop.).

You can spend about twice that and get a T420. There are some other versions, like this one at about $1000,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Yoga-i7-4500U-1920x1080-IPS-MULTITOUCH-8GB-256GB-SSD-Laptop-/281321137617?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item41800be5d1

Not trying to sell those, they are just random examples.

Less heat, takes up less room, etc. Laptops have really increased their power, and if you don't need a desktop (usually because you need to add extra video cards or hard drives) then a laptop will do just about anything you want.

Runs Win 7 or 8 just fine, (actually they do quite a bit more, but that's another post) and I know you say you are analog , but it wouldn't hurt you to investigate linux. It is an operating system like Windows or Mac, but free, and will do everything you said you wanted to do in your post above. There is one called Linux Mint (version 16) that you could probably download, write to a dvd and install on your laptop without too much trouble, and there are people out on the Internet (like here) to help. You might need to find a computer-literate friend to help a little, but Linux is really quite good these days, worth a little time to investigate.

One of the nice parts is that it comes at no cost, and gives you a browser, an "office-like" suite of products such as word processor, etc., writes CDs and DVDs, the stuff you said. You don't get the support of the big corporation, but for the majority of people it will do the job quite nicely.

(If you exchange business docs with someone who uses Microsoft products a lot it might be easier to just get Windows, but it's not that hard with Linux)

Things are changing out there, and I think you are going to see more people going to laptops and tablets - a LOT of work is done on tablets and phones these days, especially since some phones, tablets, and laptops are running essentially the same software.

Just a hint: While you are looking, investigate some tablets too, get your hands on some. I don't think most are in the running to replace one's laptop or desktop, (though that is changing rapidly) but as an adjunct they can make you much more portable (recipes, books, Eddington's paper with comments by Neal deGrasse Tyson, whatever one likes to read), along with the ability to pull up maps of where you are and where you want to go, read and send email, entertain yourself with a quick game of Homicidal Birds while waiting at the Dr's office - all on a device with a 7 or 10 inch screen that fits in your briefcase or bag.

For what it's worth.

[cali]

12. thanks, jtuck. it's worth a lot. I can't do that stuff but my son does

in fact, he got so pissed off at my computer last week when he was visiting that he said he was going to build me one which is a hobby of his- he's a gamer- but I know he doesn't have the time right now and my computer is crashing, the dvd player function is broken, etc.

[ohheckyeah]

11. I have two desktop computers and

one laptop. I find that both of my desktops run much faster and better than the laptop. Laptops run hotter and I find that mine (which was a $600 laptop) does the pause thing when the fan comes on. I've had friends complain about the same thing. The only reason I haven't sold my laptop is I live out in the country and the laptop comes in handy when the electricity goes off. I have a spare battery for it, but I sometimes go months and never turn it on.

I have a great 22" monitor with my desktop and I wouldn't trade that for any laptop.

Many people like a touchscreen but the fingerprints would drive me crazy.

[cali]

13. thank you for pointing out these issues- particularly the one about the fingerprints

that would drive me nuts too.

[steve2470]

16. my 2 cents

http://www.newegg.com/Store/RecertifiedStore.aspx?RecertifiedStoreID=22&name=Refurbished-PCs-Laptops

Check out the link above. Newegg has never done me wrong in many years of business. They ship directly to your front door and all their products (I think) come with warranties and a RMA (return manufacturer authorization) if you need to return something for repairs or a refund. Read the fine print, as always, of course.

I've bought two refurbished laptops from Newegg and had zero problems with both. Yes, of course, one can get the one that happens to be defective, but *knock on wood* it has not happened to me.

You may not know this but you can buy Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 separately on a disc. It pays to have one for reinstalls.

Here's a link for Windows 7 OEM (original equipment manufacturer) discs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416806

$100 bucks basically, but IMHO worth spending for your very own copy of Windows. Windows 7 support ends officially on January 13, 2015, so that's the only bad thing about it. Windows 8 support from Microsoft ends on January 9, 2018, so you may wish to consider that option for longevity purposes, despite the bad press about Windows 8. Once you turn off the horrendous Metro screen, it's just like Windows 7 for the most part.

Best wishes in your hunt.

Steve

[cali]

17. thank you so much, steve- and thanks to everyone. so helpful. much appreciated n/t

[Denzil_DC]

18. Laptops have one massive advantage over desktops

for anyone who's particularly likely to gnash their teeth if there's a sudden power outage (like writers or editors who could lose possibly unreplaceable work and an unrecoverable train of thought if everything suddenly goes *poof*) - they have a built-in uninterruptible power supply which will kick in instantly and save the day as long as the battery's healthy.

Your requirements may vary, but given you can plug in a more usable keyboard, mouse, screen etc. if you need it, it may be something to add to your considerations.

[Fumesucker]

19. Laptops have itty bitty cooling fins inside that clog up really easily with dust

A friend of mine is a laptop repair specialist and he tells me the #1 problem with laptops is overheating because the cooling system is loaded up with dust. It's possible to take a laptop apart and clean the cooling unit but it's a finicky job with lots of tiny screws to take out and put in and very often it's not at all obvious how the thing comes apart in the first place. I'm very much a hands on, DIY kind of person and I'd hesitate before I pulled a laptop apart to clean it.

To the OP, I bought a used quad core Dell Optiplex desktop with four gigs of ram and a two hundred gig hard drive with Windows 7 Ultimate on Ebay for under $150 and it's been absolutely trouble free for the last six months. I do a lot of image processing and other stuff that requires a fairly powerful box to run on and it handles everything I throw at it with aplomb.

For example, here's a machine that should do everything you want for around $120 and the seller has good feedback with a large number of sales...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-GX755-SMALL-FORM-FACTOR-COMPUTER-INTEL-CORE-2-Duo-2-53-GHZ-4GB-250GB-WIN-7-/191166435923?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item2c82685253

[hobbit709]

20. Of course I've seen desktops caked with a 1/2 inch of dust on the heat sink.

I had one that even the canned air wouldn't blow the crap out between the fins.
I had to take the heat sink off the cpu, take the fan off the heat sink and use a thin piece of metal to clear out the packed dust.
The problem was that after 10 minutes the temperature alarm would go off and it would shut down. After cleaning out the fan blades and heat sink the temps dropped 40° C on the cpu.

[Denzil_DC]

21. Yup. That comment had nothing to do with my point about power supply, and it's misleading anyway.

The fans in desktops/towers tend to move more air, so can actually be worse for infiltrating dust into the computer, especially if the computer's tucked away in a corner or on the floor.

Our house is atrocious for dust - an old solid fuel stove that's very messy to run, cat that's constantly shedding, country debris blown and tracked in etc. We've used two laptops in there pretty much daily for 10 hours plus for years now, and neither have had serious problems with dust on the cooling fins or fans.

[Fumesucker]

24. I've seen that too..

However for the most part it takes just a couple of minutes to take a desktop down to the point you can clean the cooling fins while doing the same for the much smaller and more easily clogged fins on a laptop can take an hour or more of finicky and painstaking disassembly and reassembly with lots of screws that can be nearly microscopic sometimes.

[steve2470]

22. Have you bought your computer yet ? nt

[cali]

23. no, my son shamed me. He said in an exasperated voice, Mom, I told you I'd build you one

I'll give him a month. He's a really busy guy: full time chef, sometimes moonlights for friends, heavy into photography- he just bought a Nikon 610 or whatever it it. He's getting into white water kayaking and of course he hangs with friends. I don't see how he has time to do it.

[steve2470]

25. My son is good at building them too

I lack the patience to deal with motherboards and the tiny wiring that goes into them. He has that patience. I pay him to put my parts together and we're both happy.

[intaglio]

27. Cali - if all else fails and depending on your internet connection look at Google Chromebooks

they tend to be cheaper.

BTW I do not have any skin in this game My PCs/Laptops are Windows based because myself and the Missus play games -know what I mean? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more, nodge is as good as a wink ...)

[krispos42]

28. Desktops are easier to add to

The hardware in a desktop, such as hard drives, DVD/CD/Blu-Ray drives, memory, and expansion ports (like extra USB plugs) is standardized; you can just buy a hard drive for extra storage, plug in the wires, and mount it with a couple of screws into the box. My computer just passed the 10-year mark, and only a couple of months ago I added a card to give me 5 extra USB ports, and then I plugged a 1-terabyte hard drive into it. I found them all on NewEgg.com, and the price was good.

Windows 7 is a good choice; I use (still use) XP on mine but I've used 7 at work and have not had any problems or issues.

Laptop stuff is crammed in there and I think it's proprietary to the manufacturer. If the Wi-Fi on a laptop goes, you have to get it repaired. IF the Wi-Fi on your desktop goes, you can just buy a new card for like $40. For example.



If you're not mobile, when why pay for the extra work and maintenance for a device designed to be mobile?